Nintendo amiibo a fit fighter in Super Smash Bros. Wii U preview

Nintendo Co. this week demonstrated new amiibo functionality in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U to Punch Jump in a pre-release preview.

amiibo is a new line of NFC-enabled toy figures that can transfer the character and respective data via the Wii U GamePad.

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, users can place the figure on the Wii U GamePad to transfer the fighter to the game. The fighter can’t be used but acts like a sparring partner that can be trained to fight against you, fight in multiplayer battles, or fight against other local amiibo.

The system recognizes the amiibo in about a second and can engage in battle to level up or be customized with new accessories. The amiibo can learn fight abilities with each battle to become a formidable opponent in matches. In the demonstration, players fought against two amiibo – a Level 37 Mario and a Level 50 Wii U Trainer. Both held their own with quick and varied tactics that were comparable to a real player. Amiibo levels are capped at 50.

In addition, amiibo can be customized to utilize a specific move set and battle data can be saved to the figure itself to allow owners to bring the fighter another Wii U and participate in battle. The data save function takes only a few seconds via NFC.

Each amiibo figure is lightweight but sturdy with a circular base. While less detailed than pre-production models, the retail versions are still intricately produced, from Samus’ matte metallic armor to Link’s shield paint. Sharp objects like Marth’s sword are flexible to prevent injury.

Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U will be the inaugural title for the new product line. Future compatible titles include Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi’s Wooly World.